Best Albums of the 1980s

Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 52,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade
Decade:
Year:
1980s decade summary
YearAlbums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.
19802,109194,927
19812,141120,510
19822,113148,563
19832,119135,904
Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
19842,122171,743
19852,121144,448
19862,241172,007
19872,446163,244
19882,533152,728
19892,551198,711
Total22,4961,602,785

The best artists of the 1980s were The Smiths, Prince, Pixies, The Cure, Talking Heads, U2, Metallica, Kate Bush, R.E.M. and The Stone Roses.
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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
193
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
193
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
193
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
192
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
192
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
191
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
191
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
191
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
191
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
191
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year Albums %


1980 117 12%
1981 120 12%
1982 110 11%
1983 97 10%
1984 102 10%
1985 81 8%
1986 96 10%
1987 87 9%
1988 93 9%
1989 97 10%
Artist Albums %


The Cure 10 1%
Iron Maiden 8 1%
Depeche Mode 8 1%
Rush 8 1%
The Fall 7 1%
The Smiths 7 1%
R.E.M. 7 1%
Show all
Country Albums %


United Kingdom 417 42%
United States 386 39%
Australia 40 4%
Mixed Nationality 27 3%
Canada 23 2%
Germany 22 2%
Ireland 12 1%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 966 97%
Yes 34 3%
Live? Albums %
No 977 98%
Yes 23 2%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 988 99%
Yes 12 1%
Popular  Charts
1. 200 Greatest Albums of All Time by Uncut (2016)
2. The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time by New Music Express (2013)
3. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone (2020)
4. The Top 100 Albums by VH1 (2001)
5. The Definitive 200 by National Association of Recording Merchandisers (2007)
6. Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums by Virgin (2000)
7. Top 100 Albums by ABC (2006)
8. Die 100 Alben des Jahrhunderts by Spex (2000)
9. Die 100 besten Platten des Jahrhunderts by Wiener (1999)
10. Die 20 besten Alben der Geschichte by Musikexpress.de (2011)
11. The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time by Consequence of Sound (2022)
12. Mojo Readers: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made by Mojo (1996)
13. Greatest 100 Albums of All Time by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums with NME (2006)
14. The 100 Greatest Albums Of All Time by Absolute Radio (2012)
15. The Greatest Rock Albums by uDiscoverMusic (2015)
16. 100 Greatest Albums Ever by Q (2006)
17. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Melody Maker (2000)
18. Die 100 besten Alben der Musikgeschichte by radioeins (2019)
19. Die besten Alben aller Zeiten by Rolling Stone Deutschland (2004)
20. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Channel 4 (2005)
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